The Way Home
by birchleaf66
Summary: Found on a night when thunder and lightning crashed at the same time,Misty is believed to be lucky.Escaping from her owners,she heads towards a mysterious place where four clans live,all the while guided by a voice in her head.Who or what is she?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Thunder crashed loudly. George Baker woke up with a start, staring out of the window with large eyes. Never before in the entire fifty years of his life had he ever experienced a storm so wild.

"Take a look at this," he hurriedly shook his wife, Eileen Baker, awake.

She groaned sleepily, but finally sat up. "What is it now, dear?"

When she caught sight of the stormy landscape outside, she too gasped in shock.

"Will our house be blown down?" She asked fearfully, getting out of bed.

"Never fear, darling, old George is here!"

They stood by the window, admiring the desolate scenery. Suddenly, George stiffened.

"Did you hear that?" he asked softly. "Sounds like a cat."

Eileen frowned and strained to listen over the booming thunder. "I hear it! I think it's coming from outside."

They tiptoed down the stairs and opened the front door. Both of them were immediately blasted by the howling wind. A soaking scrap of fur lay at their feet, mewling pitifully.

They both stared down at it adoringly, their hearts melting. "Let's take it in, shall we?" Eileen asked.

When George nodded, she bent down to pick the kitten up. Then, a streak of lighting split the night sky, and at the same time, thunder boomed so loudly, they both jumped up, startled.

"Holy Jesus! God must have approved of us taking the kitten in!" George exclaimed in surprise.

They looked down at the kitten once more, who by now was trying to crawl towards them.

"It must be lucky!" Eileen gushed and picked up the kitten up by the scruff of its fur.

They scrutinized it carefully. There was an orange streak down the kitten's flank, and the rest of it was white. The tip of its tail was orange too. George turned it over.

"It's a female." He confirmed.

"Let's name her Misty."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Misty stretched out in the backyard, yawning widely. She was so bored. The broken down fence, the rusty shed – she had explored just about everything around the house.

She longed to be free, roaming outside. Staring at the forest beside her house, she sighed wistfully. That was when the voices started.

"Misty……"

She jumped up and scanned her surroundings quickly. No one intruded on her territory and left alive.

"Who's there?" she snarled fiercely, hoping to frighten the intruder.

She heard a low chuckle. The voice spoke again, amusement evident in its tone. "There's no one around you, Misty. I'm in your head."

Misty froze. This was too freaky to believe. Was she going crazy? "Shut up, and tell me who you are!" she demanded.

Unfortunately, the voice continued speaking. "I am known as Bluestar. Misty, have you ever heard of the Four Clans?"

She calmed down a little, soothed by the lilting tone of Bluestar. "No," she meowed.

"They live in a beautiful place, Misty. But sadly, it is being destroyed by twolegs. You must-"

"Wait a minute. What are twolegs?" she interrupted, face scrunched up in puzzlement.

Bluestar purred in amusement once more. "You know them as humans."

Misty snorted. "What do these clans have to do with me? I don't even know them!"

"True. But in a way, you are connected to them. Please, help them. I'll leave you alone to think about it." And with that, Bluestar's voice disappeared.

"W-wait! I don't understand!" Misty wailed, but it was too late; Bluestar was gone.

She curled up in her favourite corner, under the old oak tree beside the rusty shed. Misty brightened. Maybe she could escape and head to that 'beautiful place' Bluestar had talked about. She was curious about the Four Clans too. What were they like?

"Misty! Time for food!" Eileen hollered loudly.

Misty sighed and got up. They could buy her some nice tidbits to eat for a change. The tasteless food pellets were not appetizing at all. She padded in through the cat-flap and munched listlessly, all the while thinking about what Bluestar had said. She had decided. She would escape from this dreary place and head to the 'beautiful place'! Her eyes burned with excitement.

While she was lounging about in the warm afternoon sun, Misty was surprised to find that she was glad when Bluestar came into her head once more.

"Hello Misty. Have you decided?" Bluestar asked gently.

"You bet! I'm going to that place." Misty mewed firmly.

Bluestar chuckled. "I'll tell you more about the clans, then."

Misty settled down to listen, tail twitching happily.

By the time Bluestar had finished, it was time for dinner. She bounded towards her bowl of food, thinking about Thunderclan, Windclan, Riverclan and Shadowclan. These were the clans Bluestar had been talking about. She looked down at her food. This would probably be the last time she ate in the house. She would miss George and Eileen though, but her mind was made up. She would be escaping tomorrow.

After dinner, she explored the place she had lived in all over again. She was going to miss this place a lot. Bluestar had told her to brush up on her hunting skills. But she didn't even have an inkling of what Bluestar was talking about. She sighed helplessly. How was she going to survive outside?

That night, Misty couldn't sleep a wink at all. She was too excited. But there was a sliver of fear wedged in her heart. She knew there were rogue cats outside who would tear her to pieces without hesitating at all. She flailed her paws wildly around. At least she knew a little about fighting. She soon forgot everything and curled up in her basket as sleep engulfed her.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Dawn soon arrived, and Misty woke up. The idea of escaping from the house slipped from her mind as she watched the birds flying high up in the sky. That is, until Bluestar's voice startled her.

"I see you've woken up."

Misty nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Before she left, she sneaked into the kitchen and headed towards her bowl of food. Eileen was already eating her own breakfast, and she ruffled Misty's fur. Misty could not help but feel guilty. When she had finished, she quickly scrambled out the door, Eileen looking after her fondly. The fresh morning air invigorated her. Misty sat, happily admiring the peacefulness.

Bluestar suddenly appeared in her head again. "It'll be a long journey, Misty. Head towards your right – there's a deserted path there."

Misty turned her head. True enough, there was a path. It seemed unused and derelict. There were even weeds growing by its sides. She padded over and placed a paw on the path. Her journey had begun!

As she traveled, Bluestar told her more about the clans. Misty was fascinated, devouring every piece of information. She had never thought that there could be wild cats living in the forest, and that notion interested her. A thought suddenly formed in her mind.

"Wait! How will the clans know who I am?" she mewed worriedly.

"There's no need to worry. There are cats known as medicine cats in each of the four clans. I will send them dreams about you, and they will relay the news to their clan members." Came the reply.

And for the next hour or so, Misty listened to Bluestar talking about the medicine cats.

It was fast approaching midday, and the sun was burning down fiercely. The scorching rays tired Misty out, and she soon started to pant in exhaustion.

"If you're tired, you can take a rest."

Misty sank down gratefully onto the hard ground. Her belly rumbled. After walking for such a long time, she was hungry. Unfortunately, there was nothing to eat. She looked around desperately, hoping to find a scrap of food.

Bluestar chuckled. "You'll have to learn how to hunt, or you won't survive. I'll teach you."

Misty purred happily. Finally! She was going to learn how to hunt.

"Do you smell anything?"

Misty took a deep breath. Underneath the musty smell of the earthy forest, she could scent a thrush.

"I smell a thrush." She replied.

"Good. Pinpoint its direction, and crouch down and creep towards it. Do it quietly."

Misty followed Bluestar's instructions and managed to sneak up on the thrush, which was hoping around on the ground looking for food.

Bluestar meowed, "the direction of the wind is also important. It can carry your scent away or towards your prey. Now, prepare to pounce on the bird."

Misty nodded and tensed her muscles. She unsheathed her claws and sprang towards the thrush. It didn't notice her until it was too late. She pinned it to the ground as it chirped in terror. She silenced it with one blow.

"Nicely done." There was a note of approval in Bluestar's voice.

She sat down to eat, feeling very proud of herself. The thrush tasted delicious, a harmony of flavors she had never experienced before. She savored every morsel slowly. The tasteless pellets she had eaten all her life could never compare to this.

"There are different kinds of stalking techniques for different kinds of animals. You'll learn more about that later."

Misty finished off her food in a short time, as she was so hungry. She set off again. It was going to be a long way to the clans. However, she marched on determinedly.

She did not know how long she had walked. However, the sky was beginning to darken, and the temperature had already dropped a few degrees. It would be nighttime soon. When it was finally too dark to walk, Misty stopped.

"You'll have to find somewhere warm to spend the night in. See if there's cave or some bushes around."

Misty scanned her surroundings, and spotted a thick clump of bushes behind her. She bounded towards it and curled up underneath the leaves. Darkness enveloped her mind.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! My year end holidays start this Thursday, so I'll be able to update more! Hope you enjoy this chapter! )**

Chapter 3

It was a bright sunny morning when Misty woke up. A perfect day for traveling. Morning mist still hung in the air, but birds were chirping merrily. She got up and shook the dew off her fur. Something didn't feel right. Then she realized what it was – Bluestar wasn't in her head to greet her. Strangely, Misty had become used to the she-cat's soothing voice in her head. _I wonder where she is, _Misty thought. She decided to continue on her journey.

The forest was quite peaceful, and Misty enjoyed the fresh air. It made her feel energized. After gulping down a mouse (her hunting skills had improved drastically), she padded on slowly. A rustling sound came from behind her. She stiffened and spun around, lightning quick. What was that? The bushes rustled again. Whatever it was, it seemed to be coming closer. Misty snarled softly and slowly backed away.

It finally showed itself. It was two mangy cats, with flea-bitten fur all over their bodies. They glared at her wickedly. Both of them were quit skinny, but they looked strong, and dangerous. One of them, the dark tabby, unsheathed his razor sharp claws and hissed fiercely at her.

"We don't want no strangers in our territory," he growled menacingly.

The other cat, a black pelted one, stared at Misty. She gulped nervously. They seemed to want to pick a fight with her! What should she do? And where was Bluestar when you needed her.

She stammered, "S-sorry, I didn't know."

The tabby sneered. "Look 'ere Wilco. She says she didn't know!" he imitated her tone. "Well, we don't care. You gotta be punished – by us."

Wilco snickered in delight, flexing his muscles. "Yeah. Look at her, Ralf. She's so weak."

They both rolled on the floor with laughter. Suddenly, Wilco sprang up. "Alrighty, time to get serious."

And he bounded towards Misty, claws outstretched, reaching for her throat. Misty dodged and began to think quickly. The odds were against her. There were two of them while there was only one of her. However, with some luck, she might be able to beat them. She dashed towards Wilco but suddenly veered to the left and gave the unsuspecting Ralf a sharp nip on the ear, and at the same time, raked her claws down his flank. Ralf let out a piercing howl and tried to scratch her. He managed to grab hold of her left leg. Misty winced in pain and shook him off.

Wilco dashed straight towards her but Misty nimbly sidestepped him and bit him on the ear. He hissed angrily and spun around, catching hold of her tail. Her tail felt like it was going to be pulled off soon but Misty struggled to grab hold of his head. She delivered a hard bite to the base of his neck, which wasn't hard enough to kill him. Wilco let out a loud screech and fled into the forest. With Wilco gone, Ralf looked uncertain, but he swiped at Misty, leaving her with a deep scratch just below her eye. Misty snarled at him and jumped onto his back and hung on with her claws for dear life. The pain was probably too much even for Ralf, and he gave a loud yowl and also fled into the forest.

Misty sank down onto the grass, glad that the fight was over. How in the world had she managed to defeat the two of them? She had no idea. Blood flowed profusely from the scratch on her face. It hurt badly.

"Well done." Bluestar's voice suddenly echoed in her head.

"Well done? Where in the world were you?! I could have died just now!" Misty almost screeched in exasperation.

However, Bluestar sounded pleased. "Ah, but you didn't. In fact, you're quite a good fighter, if I do say so myself. You'll do well in future battles."

Although Misty felt very angry and irritated with Bluestar, she could not help but feel a twinge of happiness. Bluestar had just praised her for fighting well! She tried not to let it show on her face, even though Bluestar wouldn't be able to see her expression anyway.

"Well," she meowed grumpily, "my wounds hurt. Isn't there anything you can do to make them better?"

Bluestar laughed in amusement. "I'm not some kind of magic cat. However, you can go look for some cobwebs to put on your wounds. They will heal soon."

Misty padded into the forest to look for them. She felt so happy. She had just earned her first battle scars!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Her wounds still hurt even after a night of good rest. Misty winced in pain as she stood up slowly; taking care not to brush her wounds against the leaves of the bush she had been sleeping under. She was getting tired of traveling. When was she ever going to get to the place where the clans lived? After all, she had been journeying for three days and nights!

"Bluestar, when are we going to get there?" She asked, wondering if the she-cat had even heard her at all.

Somewhere from her head, she heard her answer. "Soon enough. In fact, we'll probably arrive by nightfall. Be patient."

Be patient?! She had been patient long enough! However, Misty kept her mouth shut and continued padding on, her feet sore and aching.

"Bluestar," she asked, "how on earth did you manage to communicate with me in my head?"

She heard a chuckle. "Oh, I have my own means!"

But Misty wasn't satisfied with that little tidbit of information. She pressed on. "But you have to be magic or something to do that. Please, tell me!"

"I'm actually dead, you know."

Misty stifled a gasp. She was talking with a _dead_ cat? That was impossible!

"What?" she mewed in confusion.

"When we die, we go to Starclan. So you could say there are _five_ clans in the forest. Life goes on after death, you know." Bluestar replied.

Starclan? Misty mused. It sounded like cat heaven or something. A place where cats went after they died.

"Oh yes. I haven't told you something special about the leaders of each clan. I know you might find this strange, but each of them are granted nine lives."

Misty's ears pricked up. Nine lives? They could practically go on living forever!

"Cool! I want to be a leader too!" Misty breathed.

Bluestar meowed, a note of amusement in her voice, "It's not so easy. You have to work hard to become a leader."

As she walked, gravel crunching under her paws, Misty listened to Bluestar talking about clan life. It all sounded very exciting, and she couldn't wait to get there. The hunting, the fighting, it all seemed as if they lived in a dream. Misty turned over whatever Bluestar had told her in her mind. True, she had felt blood coursing through her veins when she had been stalking her prey and when she finally caught it, a sense of great satisfaction. She suddenly looked up. In front of her was a great forest, with trees everywhere. She stepped into the shade.

"You are in the territory of Thunderclan now." Bluestar meowed. "Be careful. When you see a cat, please act friendly, or you'll soon find yourself fighting with four or five cats."

Misty nodded, and strained to listen for any sound of approaching cats. She could see some houses to her left and was surprised that the Thunderclan cats lived so close to humans. She moved further into the forest, relishing the feel of cool ground under her sore paws, and the welcome breeze which ruffled her fur. She sniffed deeply. A whole cacophony of earthy smells and rich soil reached her. Under that, she could smell the scent of an unknown cat, but it was stale.

A bush suddenly rustled. Misty froze. What was that? She slowly turned around and found herself facing a white cat. She was puzzled. Was this a warrior from Thunderclan? If so, why did he have a coat of pure white? That looked like the coat of a kittypet.

The cat snarled fiercely at her. "You smell like a kittypet. What are you doing here? This is Thunderclan territory."

"I…uh…Bluestar sent me here." Misty mewed meekly.

The white tom stared at her, obviously not satisfied with what she had just told him.

"She said that I'm supposed to go to Thunderclan and look for a cat named Firestar." she explained.

"Oh." He glanced at her once more. "You must be Misty then. Follow me."

And with that he swiftly spun around and padded off. Misty had no choice but to follow him.

"Who is he?" Misty asked Bluestar.

Apparently, she must have said this out loud, because the white tom glared at her. "I'm called Cloudtail. I'm Firestar's nephew, for your information."

"Oh." Misty replied, chastened.

She brightened when she realized that she would be meeting with wild cats. Happily, she padded on with a bounce in her step.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As she followed Cloudtail into Thunderclan camp, she took note of her surroundings. They came to a thick bramble wall, which probably defended their camp. She followed the white tom into a hole, and accidentally snagged her fur on the sharp thorns. They emerged into a large clearing. Misty gazed in awe. So this was where the Thunderclan cats lived. Everywhere she looked, she saw cats lazing around or just basking themselves in the warm afternoon sun. There were others carrying prey in and out of camp. Some cats turned to look at her, either with hostility or curiosity in their eyes. Her fur crawled. Why were they looking at her like that?

"Come on, move! What are you doing, standing there with your mouth open like that?" Misty turned to find Cloudtail glaring at her

She mewed an apology and continued padding after him. He led her to a large den. Peering inside, she started in shock as an orange cat emerged from it. He scrutinized her carefully.

"Welcome to Thunderclan. You must be Misty." He meowed gently, and Misty felt more reassured.

"A whole lot of good she would do to save Thunderclan." Cloudtail muttered under his breath before a stony glare from his uncle silenced him.

"I'm Firestar, leader of Thunderclan." The orange cat meowed to Misty.

Firestar flicked his tail, signaling to Cloudtail to move away. The white warrior padded off without so much as a glance at Misty. Firestar then beckoned to Misty to follow him into his den. She gladly stepped in, away from the sun. After a whole day of walking, she felt so tired she could hardly stand on her paws.

Firestar sat down with his tail curled around his paws. Misty did likewise and turned to face him.

"So, tell me Misty, how did you come to know Bluestar?" Firestar asked, a glimmer of curiosity in his green eyes.

Misty fished around in her mind for an answer.

"It's okay, Misty. Just tell him that I came to you." To her surprise, Bluestar was still in her head.

"Uh," she mewed nervously, "actually, _she _came to _me_."

Firestar nodded sagely. "I see. So what did she tell you?"

"Oh!" Misty perked up. "She told me lots of stuff. Mostly about the four clans and all that. She also said that um, twolegs were destroying your homes, and I'm supposed to help you."

Firestar's eyes flickered with hope. "Yes, that is all true. Did she say anything more?"

Misty was getting a little fed up with his pointless questions. "Hey!" she protested. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Firestar seemed a little shocked. "How? You mean she's in here with us?"

He started looking around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bluestar's blue pelt.

"No. I meant she's in my head right now, talking to me." Misty replied, not very sure how Bluestar would feel about what she had just said.

"Oh." He meowed. "Well, ask her to explain to you why exactly you were called here."

Misty searched for Bluestar amongst the depths of her mind. "Uh Bluestar, _why_ am I here?"

She heard an audible sigh. "Well, Misty, did you know that not many cats can communicate with me in this way? Only medicine cats can, and only in the form of dreams. I believe you are the first of your kind who have telepathic powers."

_Tele _what? Misty couldn't believe her ears. From the corner of her eye, she could see Firestar watching her closely.

"It means that you can talk with other cats who have the same powers as you in your mind, without the need to say things aloud. Don't you see that you are one very special cat? You can most probably read minds too."

This was getting even more bizarre! "Me?" she squeaked aloud.

"Yes, you. That's why you have been brought here. To help the clans retrieve their territory back from the twolegs."

This was all a great shock to Misty. It thrilled her too. She could actually speak with cats in her mind!

"Not just cats, either! I think you can communicate with twolegs too, or just about any other species."

This was so cool!

Misty turned to Firestar. "Bluestar just told me that I can talk with others in my mind. Did you know about this beforehand?"

Firestar nodded. "We couldn't believe it at first either. But when you appeared, I knew it was true."

Misty settled back to think about what she had just been told. She could read minds, couldn't she? With a mischievous grin on her face, she reached out for Firestar's mind. A shadowy fog prevented her from going through, but she pushed through it, all the while hearing a crackly sound. Finally, she heard something.

"Thunderclan now has hope."

She opened her eyes. "Did you just think 'Thunderclan now has hope'?"

Firestar gasped in astonishment. "Y-you read my mind!"

Misty beamed. This was going to be fun.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Misty woke up refreshed and ready to start the day. She padded out of the musty den and poked her head out, inhaling the fresh morning air. While gazing at her surroundings, Cloudtail walked up to her.

"Ah, I see you're awake. I'm supposed to show you around. Are you ready to go?' he meowed.

Those words filled Misty with a sense of excitement. "Of course! Let's go!"

As they traversed the forest, Misty tried to make small talk. "Am I to become a warrior?"

Cloudtail glanced at her thoughtfully. "I don't think so. Not for the time being, at least. You'll probably be an apprentice first."

The word confused Misty, as she had never heard of it before. Seeing her puzzled expression, Cloudtail proceeded to explain.

"It means that you'll be trained by a more experienced warrior. How to fight, how to hunt and all that. Seeing as you have special powers, you'll most likely be trained by Leafpool, our medicine cat."

"Why her?"

"Because," Cloudtail mewed patiently, "she can communicate with Starclan, like you."

Misty nodded her head in understanding. As they passed the Sycamore Tree, Misty grinned mischievously. She glanced at Cloudtail's figure in front of her. Closing her eyes, she groped for his mind. Thrusting a tendril of thought into his shadowy mind, Misty searched for his thoughts. Just as she was about to learn something, Cloudtail spun around abruptly.

"I can feel you inside my head! It's rude to be looking at other cats' thoughts. Promise me you'll never do that again, unless necessary." He glared angrily at Misty.

She reeled with shock. She had been discovered! Misty had no choice but to obey.

"I-I promise."

"Good. Come on, catch up with me." Cloudtail flicked his tail and waited for her.

Misty eagerly raced after him. The engaging sights along the way sated her curiousity. She would train at those places soon! That thought filled her with happiness.

"Good to see you so happy."

Misty frowned as Bluestar's voice rebounded in her head.

"Bluestar? You're here!" she mewed in delight.

Only when Cloudtail turned around and looked at her strangely did Misty realize she had said those words aloud.

"Bluestar is talking to you?!" he meowed incredulously.

Misty racked her brain for a way out of this problem, and finally settled on the easiest.

"Uh, I don't know if you'll believe me but she's in my head right now."

Cloudtail stopped right in his tracks. "Cool! You mean, you've been talking with her all this time?"

"No. Just a minute ago she entered my head." Misty explained.

He stared closely at her. "Does Firestar know about this yet?"

Misty proudly nodded. She loved being the center of attention.

Cloudtail looked at her with a new respect in his eyes. "Great Starclan! You ARE lucky!"

"I know."

Unfortunately, after the conversation with Cloudtail, Bluestar seemed to have disappeared. They soon returned to camp after the short tour. After meowing a goodbye to Cloudtail, she was accosted by a gray colored cat.

"Hi. I'm Graystripe, Thunderclan's deputy. Firestar wants to see you in his den now."

"Thanks!" she called back over her shoulder and bounded towards the clan leader's den.

"You wanted to see me?" she peered curiously inside the den, unsure whether she could enter or not.

"Yes," Firestar meowed. "Come in."

She stepped inside. The cool shade was a welcome relief after the blazing hot sun. Firestar sat on his haunches, gazing at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. He motioned for her to sit down.

"I'm sure you know that you'll be getting a mentor soon, right?"

"Yeah, Cloudtail told me." Misty nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, I've decided that your ceremony shall be held tonight." Firestar replied.

"Really? Wow!" Misty purred with delight. "Thank you!"

Firestar chuckled. "That's all, actually. You may go now."

Just before she stepped out of the den, Misty turned around. "Who will be my mentor?"

Firestar smiled slyly at her. "Ah, you'll just have to find out tonight, eh?"

**Hi! Sorry for the long wait! Hope you enjoyed this chappie. Can you guess who Misty's mentor will be? It might not be Leafpool, though!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

By the next morning, almost every cat in Thunderclan had heard about the strange new arrival—Misty. Wherever she went, she was met by curious looks, because she was thought to be some sort of weird creature. Misty began to feel more and more uneasy. Rumors had gone around that she ate kits, and the queens struggled to keep their kits away from Misty whenever she went near.

"What is going on?! They all treat me like I'm an alien or something," she muttered furiously to Cloudtail.

The white warrior chuckled. "It's okay. All will be revealed at your naming ceremony tonight."

Misty's eyes widened in horror. "You mean they're going to know that I can read minds and whatever else I can do?" she mewed frantically. "That's nuts!"

"Take it easy," Cloudtail meowed. "It's not like they'll hurt you. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine, just be patient."

Misty stalked off to hunt. Maybe she shouldn't have been born with these weird powers after all. Why couldn't she just be a normal cat? A movement to her side caught her eye. A queen was staring at her in hostility, claws unsheathed. Her kit was mewling pitifully.

Misty finally lost her temper. "Come on! What do you think I am? Some sort of monster or what?" she snarled at the terrified queen. "Stop looking at me like that!"

She bounded off into the forest without looking back. The queen tried to smooth down her ruffled fur while peering after Misty's retreating figure. This was one young feisty she-cat all right!

After venting her anger on the bark of an oak tree, Misty felt much better. _Maybe I shouldn't have said all that to her, _Misty thought regretfully. However, she was overwhelmed by excitement when she thought about her naming ceremony. What would be her name? And who would be her mentor? _I mean, my name won't be Mistypaw, will it? That's so boring! I hope Cloudtail will be my mentor! _She swished her tail with glee.

_Food. Food. Hungry._

What was that? Misty whirled around quickly.

_Seed! Food!_

She concentrated on listening harder. Was that…could it be, her prey's thoughts she was hearing? It seemed to be coming from her right. She crept silently towards a small beech tree.

_Cat. Death._

She paused. The mouse or whatever it is, must have sensed her.

_Safe. Food._

Misty smirked. Ha! The poor dumb thing didn't know she was still there.

_Light. Home._

She tensed suddenly when she spotted something moving between the roots of the beech tree. It was coming out! She prepared to pounce on it. When the mouse's body finally emerged into the open, Misty jumped. As her claws punctured the mouse's flesh, her mind was assailed by a high pitched scream. She immediately let go of the mouse. _It hurts! Oh my god, it hurts so much… _The pain in her head reached its peak and she curled up on the ground, writhing in agony.

When she was finally well enough to stand again, she looked down to find the mouse on the ground, dead. She winced. That scream must have come from the mouse. So that was what it feels like to die. Well, in the future, she would have to block her mind against such incidents. Shaking her head to relieve some of the pain, Misty picked up the mouse and headed for camp.

It was dusk by the time she arrived back. While gulping down a piece of freshkill, she spotted Cloudtail coming towards her.

"It's almost time! Get ready." He meowed urgently before moving away.

Misty took the last bite and then started grooming herself. She wanted to look her best for tonight's ceremony. After a few minutes of grooming, she padded towards the Highrock.

Firestar was already sitting atop the Highrock. Cats had begun streaming in, and the clearing was soon crowded. Misty gazed in awe around her. The whole of Thunderclan was pratically here! She quickly made her way towards Firestar.

"We shall begin!" Firestar meowed. "As you all know, Misty has recently joined Thunderclan, and today will be her naming ceremony."

He leaped down from the rock and beckoned Misty towards him with a flick of his tail. Misty bounded excitedly towards him, quivering with anticipation.

He leaned and touched his muzzle to her head. "I shall be Mistpaw's mentor."

**Misty is beginning to discover what other powers she has and I'll make sure she has plenty more! Anyway, you'll find out why Firestar decided to mentor Misty in the next chapter. Hope you had a happy read!**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Most cats started muttering when they heard the news. Even Mistpaw was confused. She had expected either Leafpool or Cloudtail to be her mentor; not Firestar! Why would the clan leader want to mentor her? He didn't have any mind-reading skills or whatever other abilities she possessed at all!

"Mistpaw, Mistpaw!"

Loud chants soon began to fill the clearing. Mistpaw was jolted from her reverie, and her heart swelled with delight. They were cheering for her! She looked around to see faces smiling down at her.

"Mistpaw. I'm Mistpaw!" She meowed happily.

Firestar looked down at her and meowed, "You should go and rest now. Training will begin at dawn tomorrow."

She nodded excitedly. What would training be like? She quickly darted to the apprentices' den. She would have to find out tomorrow!

Mistpaw was up and about even before dawn broke. She was just too excited to sleep. She bounded out of the den and headed towards Firestar's.

"Huh! The old lazy bum hasn't even woken up yet!" she muttered to herself.

Just then, Firestar came out of the den. He beckoned her to follow him with a flick of his tail and off they went. Mistpaw stared wide-eyed at the beautiful scenery around her as she struggled to keep up with the older warrior. There were dewdrops hanging off leaves, just waiting to be splashed. She panted heavily as Firestar ran effortlessly in front of her. Where were they going? She hadn't been to this part of the forest before!

"Er, where are we?" she asked when they finally stopped in the middle of a clearing.

Firestar padded towards a cave. "This is my secret hideout."

"_You _have a secret hideout? Cool!" Mistpaw dashed into the cave and looked around before finally perching on a rock.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions. I'll try to answer them."

Mistpaw nodded. "Okay, why are you my mentor?"

She winced when she realized she had posed the question a little too rudely to her mentor. But Firestar didn't seem to mind.

"I'm sure you know that Bluestar was once my mentor." He paused and glanced at her.

Mistpaw racked her mind and suddenly dug up an old memory of Cloudtail telling her that.

"Yes," she mewed in confusion.

Firestar continued to speak. "I still talk to her sometimes, you know. Which is why I believe that with Bluestar's and my help, you will learn everything you need to know."

Mistpaw stared up at Firestar in amazement. "You mean you have my special abilities too?"

"Not really," he meowed, "but I can still talk with Bluestar in my head like you. However, I do not possess your other gifts."

"Yes, what Firestar has said is all true. So, you will have _two_ mentors instead of one."

Misty gasped. Bluestar had suddenly appeared in her head! And this time, she could see her! The wise gray she-cat was looking down at her in amusement.

"I see you have discovered another special ability, Mistpaw."

Firestar meowed proudly, "That was very good, Mistpaw. We won't be training you in fighting or hunting. At least, not in the physical sense."

Bluestar continued. "You see, there will probably be others like you in the outside world, and you will need to learn how to defend yourself against them. Or how to fight against them, using your mind."

Mistpaw held up her paw. "Wait a minute!" she protested, blinking her eyes in puzzlement, "I need time to absorb all this!"

"Of course," Bluestar purred. "It might be a bit overwhelming at first."

Firestar padded over to her side and nudged her up. "We won't be doing anything serious today. Your real training shall begin tomorrow."

"But…but I want to be a real apprentice! I want to know how to fight and hunt too!" she complained loudly. "In the physical sense!"

Firestar sighed. "That might be too much for you, and we don't know if you can take it."

Mistpaw crowed in delight. "Oh, you bet I can! I want to become the greatest cat this forest has ever seen!"

"If you wish it to be. Firestar shall teach you a few simple hunting and fighting techniques today, then." Bluestar meowed gently.

Mistpaw purred happily. Maybe having two mentors wouldn't be so bad after all!

**You might be wondering why Bluestar didn't go through the apprentice ceremony with Mistpaw. 1) Because she's dead (in the physical sense) and 2) because I don't know how to phrase it! Anyway, I hope you don't find this story too weird, because, it will get even weirder! Hope you enjoyed it!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long wait. I've been really busy since school reopened. ******** Anyway, I'll try to update more, so sit back and enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 9

Firestar and Bluestar trained Mistpaw long and hard. They taught her how to defend her mind from prying thoughts and other useful things. Day by day, she grew stronger and more confident. Soon, it was time for her assessment.

"Mistpaw, as you know, today will be your assessment." Firestar meowed at the excited young cat sitting before him.

"I know! What am I supposed to do?"

"You will have to defend your mind against Bluestar's thoughts, and if she breaks in, you fail. This will be your first test. There will be five in total. Ready?" He meowed.

Mistpaw nodded, eyes sparkling with excitement. She waited for the first signs of an intrusion, but grew puzzled when none happened. Firestar would probably be trying to catch her unawares. Just then, she felt a slight tweak in her mind. Mistpaw frantically erected strong barriers in defense as the intrusion became stronger and more insistent. Bluestar banged against the walls again and again, picking at the slightest weakening of her mind. This was unlike anything Mistpaw had ever faced before, and she struggled to keep Bluestar from entering. Finally, Bluestar stopped.

"Good work." Bluestar mewed in praise as Mistpaw bounced around triumphantly.

Firestar shook his tail in warning. "One down, but you still have four more to go. This time, I want you to break into my mind. Start now."

Mistpaw smiled inwardly. This was too easy. Firestar had never received any mind-training before, so he wouldn't be too hard to handle. She closed her eyes and reached out for his mind, but stopped in shock when she found herself facing an impenetrable fortress of spikes. She hissed in fury and wracked her minds for ideas. She had no idea Firestar knew how to do that! Mistpaw noticed that there was nothing at all beneath the spikes, which meant that if she got past the spikes… She tentatively placed a paw on one of the deadly-looking spikes. Satisfied that it was sturdy enough, she hopped up lightly onto it. She proceeded carefully, hopping from one spike to another. Although Firestar tried to stop her by pushing out more spikes, that did not faze her in the least. Finally, she managed to break through.

When she opened her eyes, she found an exhausted Firestar facing her.

"Great idea, jumping on the spikes like that." He meowed weakly. "That certainly tired me out."

Bluestar's voice sounded in her head. "Don't get too full of yourself," she purred warmly, "now, I want you to lift that branch over there as high as you can with your willpower."

Mistpaw nodded and concentrated hard as she mustered all her willpower into one tight ball of energy. She unleashed the raw power and struggled to lift the branch. It was much heavier than the other branches she had lifted before. When it rose a metre, Mistpaw finally let go and sank down, panting hard. Firestar let her rest for a few minute before they started on the next test.

"You will have to read an animal's mind, and tell me what it is thinking of. Start with that hawk wheeling up in the air."

Mistpaw obeyed and tried to read the bird's thoughts.

_Huntquicknothingovertherenothingspotrabbitgetitgetit-_

Mistpaw was confused. The hawk's thoughts were all in one jumbled up mess. How was she to decipher its meaning? She played it over in her mind slowly and was delighted when she figured out the meaning.

"It's hunting, and it saw nothing over there and there," Mistpaw pointed out the places, "and then it spotted a rabbit and it flew down to grab it."

Firestar nodded in approval. "Not bad! Okay, all the tests dealing with your mind are over. I'll give you until sundown to catch as much prey as you can. Seeing as you can read minds, I expect you to catch more than what a normal apprentice can. Start now!"

Mistpaw's heart raced with exhilaration as she sped off, on the lookout for prey. Soon, she detected a vole scrabbling around in its den. She caught a lot of prey in this manner, first pinpointing its thoughts and then zooming in on them. By sundown, she had a huge pile of freshkill.

"I think I captured all the prey in the forest!" she mewed happily as she dragged her catch back to camp.

She found Firestar waiting for her in the clearing. When he saw how much she caught, he twitched his whiskers in surprise.

"That's a lot! Good work, Mistpaw. I'm glad to say you passed your assessment with flying colors!" He purred warmly. "I can firmly say you're the best apprentice I've ever mentored!"

Mistpaw hid her face behind her tail in embarrassment. "Thank you! I'll work even harder in the future, I promise!"

"Glad to hear that, because, you will be going on a dangerous mission soon."

She perked up the moment she heard the words 'dangerous' and 'mission'.

"When will that be?" She asked eagerly.

"That will be a surprise. Go and take a good rest now. You've earned it. Your warrior ceremony will be held tomorrow."

Mistpaw nodded and headed back to the apprentice den, and conked out immediately.

**I made it **_**slightly **_**longer today. Hoped the last bit wasn't too short for you! Bye until next time!**


End file.
